The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1887-04-01

persisted there in tho wet and cold Ind they
not CHANGED TO 500 the lights OF the house
And that was how my nieccs came here,
Capt Mel. And here they have been ever
since, except for couple of years when
sent them TO the Capo for schooling, and II
lonely man was when they wero away
| And how about the father" asked John
Mel, deeply interested. "Did you over hear
| any more of hms,
"Ilear OF him, the villain!9 almost shouted
The old man, jumping up in wrath. SAY,
| d-n him, heard OF him. What do You
think! The two chicks had been with me
I some eighteen months, long enough for ME to
| learn to love them with all my heart, when
| one fine morning, as ] was seeing about tho
new kraal wall, see fellow come riding up
| OH an old, raw boned, gray horse. Up he
comes TO me, and as he came looked at him,
and said to myself, 'you are n drunkard you
are, and rogne; it's written on your face,
and, what's more, know your face You
see did not guess it was son my own
fathers that / was looking at. How
should ~
ais your name Croftn he said.
gay / answered.
$50 is mine lie went on with a sort Of a
drunken leer. I'm your brother
care you:' | said, beginning to get my
back up, for [ guessed ,Alat his game was.
and what may YOU be after. tell You at
once, and to your face, that il you are my
brother you are a bluckguard, AMI Lion b
want to know you or have anything to do
with you; aud if you arc not, beg your
pardon for coupling you with such
scoundrel.'
''Oh, that's your tune, is iti said he, with
a sNnl1 g,:,
| want my children. They have got little
half brother at bomc-for / have married
again, Silas--who is anxious to have them TO
play with, SO if you will be so good as to hand
them over, I'll take them away at oncc
"'You'll take them away, will your said I,
all OF n tremble with rage and fear
eyes, Silas, will. They arc mine by law.
and am not going to breed children for you
to have the comfort of Their society. I've
taken advice, Silas, and that's sound law
and he lecred at me again.
az stood and looked at he man. and thought
Of how he had treated those poor children and
their young mother, and my blood boiled and
I grew mad. Without another word |
jumped over the half finished wall and caught
him by the leg for l was II strong man ten
years ago. and jcrkcd him Off the horse As
he came down he dropped the sjambocls from
his hand, and l caught hold of it and then
and there gave him the soundest hiding n man
ever had. Lord how he did halloa. When |
was tired let him get up.
"'Now,' said, be off with you, and if YOU
come back hero I'll bid the Kaffirs hunt YOU
back to Natal with their sticks. This is the
South African Republic, and we don't caro-
overmuch about law here Which we didn't |
in those days.
"'All right, Silas,' he said, all right, you |
shall pay for this. I'll have those children, |
and, for your sake I'll mako their life q hell |
you mark my words-South African Re-
public or TO South African Republic I've |
got the law on my side
"Of he rode, cursng and swearing, and I |
flung his sjambock after him. And it was
the first and last time saw my brothero
sWhat became of him?" asked John Mel,
''rll tell you, just to show you again that
there is a power that Keeps just such men in
its eye. He got back to Newcastle that night,
end went about the canteen there abusing mo
and getting drunken and drunker, till at last
the cantccn keeper sent for his boys to turn
hiEl out. Well, the boys were rough, as
kaflirs are apt to be with drunken white
man. and he struggled and fought, and in the
middle of it the blood began to run from his
mouth, and he dropped down dead Of a broken
blood vessel, and there YVES an end Of him.
That is I he story of the two girls, Capt. Mel,
and now I'm off to bed. Tomorrow Ill show
you round the farm and we will have a talk
'oout business. Good night to you, Capt
Mel; good night.a
TO BE Continued